The Life Of Harry Houdini: The Greatest Showmen Of All Time

Karnafel 1
Joseph Karnafel
Anna Burrow
American Literature
2 November 2017
The Life of Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini is regarded as the greatest showmen of all time. Magic has interested many people for many centuries. Nothing pleases a crowd more than performing a seemingly impossible feat. Houdini is without question the most famous magician of all time. He opened many peoples eyes to what can be done in entertainment. Even if one of his tricks were figured out, Houdini would waste no time in raising the bar to something even more impossible. Also, almost every magician today would most likely be irrelevant if it weren’t for Houdini. Houdini is known for his death defying escape acts, his most famous being the water torture escape. His early

He was respected as the greatest showman of all time. He would practice more daring stunts day by day. Every day, he would wake up in the morning, fill his bath with cold water, and hold his breath as long as he could. He did this so he could perform more daring water-related stunts. He reached a record of three minutes under water. (apl.org). Not only was he the master of showmanship, but he was also the master of self-promotion. He would acquire massive crowds by performing stunts like freeing himself from a straight jacket while dangling from his feel attached to a rope several stories high. (Magic of Houdini). People loved witnessing him perform in their hometowns. However, escaping a straight jacket suspended from a rope was far from his most well known act. The stunt he became most well-known for was the Chinese Water Torture Cell. In this act, Houdini was placed into a container of water, upside down, handcuffed, and the container was locked above him. The assistants on the stage would place him underwater and then cover the cell with curtains. The crowd would anxiously wait, as Houdini had his life on the line. Minutes of nail-biting and deafening silence among the crowd ensued until finally the curtains rolled back, revealing Houdini himself, standing outside of the cell completely unscathed. This wowed crowds unlike any showman had ever before. This act became a staple in all of his

In mid-October, 1926, he performed in Maine. While he was there, he performed his Water Torture act as he usually does. This time, however, as he was lowered into the tank, the wood supporting his feet were moved in such a way that it broke his ankle. Many strongly suggested that he go to the hospital, but he insisted that he continue with the show. After the act, he wanted to prove himself by allowing a student boxer to punch him three times anywhere on his upper body with the exception of his face. The idea was to show the he can handle a punch anywhere and take it. Unfortunately, the student punched him in the stomach before Houdini could flex his abdomen, rupturing his appendix. This injury caused Houdini to contract a disease known as peritonitis. (apl.org). This disease today is mostly curable, but back then it was unlikely those who were ill of it would survive. Houdini was honored by being buried rested against a pillow filled with all of the letters he had written to his mother and wife. Furthermore, they symbolically broke a magic wand in half and placed it in his coffin to honor him. (apl.org). Houdini managed to escape poverty and rise to riches and fame. Perhaps his most impressive act was escaping the shackles of poverty. Unfortunately, peritonitis was a shackle even Houdini himself could not break free from. His crown of the greatest showman will likely not be